LOCATION AKSARBEN NE+KS

Established Series
SAS, PTC, BCE
06/2012

AKSARBEN SERIES

The Aksarben series consists of very deep, well drained soils formed in loess on uplands in the Nebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills, MLRA 106. Slope ranges from 0 to 11 percent. Mean annual air temperature is about 11 degrees C (52 degrees F), and mean annual precipitation is about 740 millimeters (29 inches).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Typic Argiudolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Aksarben silty clay loam with a convex slope of 1 percent - cultivated. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters (0 to 6 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, friable; many very fine and fine roots throughout; many fine and medium tubular pores; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 15 to 51 centimeters)

Bt1--30 to 46 centimeters (12 to 18 inches); dark brown (10YR 3/3) silty clay loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; common fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; many faint very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.

Bt2--46 to 66 centimeters (18 to 26 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; brown (10YR 5/3) dry; few fine distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure parting to strong fine and medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few fine roots throughout; few fine tubular pores; many faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; few fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt3--66 to 86 centimeters (26 to 34 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots throughout; few very fine tubular pores; many faint dark brown (10YR 3/3) continuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.

Bt4--86 to 107 centimeters (34 to 42 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; strong coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine tubular pores; common distinct brown (10YR 4/3) discontinuous clay films (cutans) on vertical and horizontal faces of peds; common fine irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 46 to 122 centimeters)

BC--107 to 152 centimeters (42 to 60 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; few very fine roots throughout; common fine tubular pores; common discontinuous pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; many fine and medium irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (15 to 51 centimeters thick)

C--152 to 200 centimeters (60 to 80 inches); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silt loam, light gray (2.5Y 7/2) dry; many fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) and common medium strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses in the soil matrix; the iron accumulations are relict redox features; massive; hard, friable; common fine tubular pores; discontinuous pressure faces on vertical faces of peds; many fine and medium irregular soft masses of iron-manganese; neutral.

TYPE LOCATION: Saunders County, Nebraska; about 9.7 kilometers (6 miles)south and 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) east of Wahoo; 247 meters (810 feet)north and 571 meters (1873 feet) west of the southeast corner, Sec. 4, T. 13 N., R. 8 E. USGS Wahoo Southeast topographic quadrangle; lat. 41 degrees, 7 minutes, 12 seconds N. and long. 96 degrees, 31 minutes, 39 seconds W.,NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Depth to argillic horizon: 15 to 51 centimeters (6 to 20 inches).
Depth to redox concentrations: 30 to 91 centimeters (12 to 36 inches). The redox pattern is a relict feature and not considered indicative of present drainage conditions.
Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 49 centimeters (10 to 19 inches).
Particle-size control section (weighted average):
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3 (3 or 4 dry)
Chroma: 1 or 2 (moist and dry)
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

Bt horizon:
Hue: 10YR/upper part; 10YR or 2.5Y/lower part
Value: 3 or 4 (4 or 5 dry) upper part, 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry) lower part
Chroma: 2 or 3 upper part, 2 to 4 lower part (moist and dry for both)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam or silty clay
Clay content: 35 to 42 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: strongly acid to neutral

BC horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 to 4 (moist and dry)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam
Clay content: 27 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 (5 to 7 dry)
Chroma: 2 to 4 (moist and dry)
Redox Concentrations: hue 7.5YR or 10YR; chroma 4 or 5; value 4 to 6
Texture: silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content: 24 to 35 percent
Sand content: 1 to 10 percent
Reaction: slightly acid to moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Mulholland, Polo, and Sharpsburg soils.
Mulholland soils have 15 to 40 percent very fine sand or coarser material and allow for up to 5 percent rock fragments in the particle-size control section.
Polo soils have 7.5YR and 5YR hue in the lower part of the B horizon.
Sharpsburg soils have redoximorphic features which are indicative of wetness within the series control section.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: loess that contains less than 10 percent sand
Landform: convex ridgetops, shoulders, backslopes and upland divides.
Slopes: 0 to 11 percent
Elevation: 300 to 505 meters (984 to 1656 feet)
Mean annual temperature: 11 to 13 degrees C. (50 to 55 degrees F).
Mean annual precipitation: 710 to 1015 millimeters (28 to 40 inches)
Frost-free period: 175 to 215 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Fillmore, Gymer, Judson, Pawnee and Yutan soils.
Fillmore soils are somewhat poorly drained and form a drainage sequence with the Aksarben soils and commonly are in the swale parts of the landscape.
Gymer soils are on backslopes.
Judson soils are on footslopes.
Pawnee soils are on adjoining lower parts of the landscape.
Yutan soils have mollic colors less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) thick, average less clay in the particle size control section and are on shoulders and backslopes.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: Well drained.
Surface runoff: Low to moderately high.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity: Moderately low

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated.
The main crops are corn, soybeans, small grains and grain sorghum.
Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southeastern Nebraska and northeastern Kansas. LRR 5, MLRA 106. They are extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Brown County, Kansas, 1994.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Particle-size control section: 30 to 80 centimeters (12 to 31 inches). (Bt1, Bt2, and Bt3 horizons)
Mollic epipedon: 0 to 46 centimeters (0 to 18 inches). (Ap, A, and Bt1 horizons)
Argillic horizon: 30 to 107 centimeters (12 to 42 inches). (Bt1, Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 horizons)
Redoximorphic concentrations (relict): 46 to 200 centimeters (18 to 80 inches). (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4, BC, and C horizons)
Moisture regime: Udic

ADDITIONAL DATA: Data from pedons 54NE025002, 73NE109005, 89NE155107, 95NE131014, and 90KS013001 are in the National Soil Survey Database.

These soils were previously mapped as Sharpsburg soils. The Sharpsburg soils are moderately well drained and have a perched water table at a depth of 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet).

CL 6/30/2008 Removed the term mottling from the OSD and replaced with redox or redoximorphic features. All SE units were removed.

BCE 2/06/2012
Updated thickness of the mollic horizon.
Added sand content for each horizon in the RIC using lab data.
Updated competing series for Mulholland and Sharpsburg.
Updated geographic setting (elevation, precipitation, and frost free days).
Updated geographically associated soils to meet MO5 standards (deleted Butler, Geary, and Mayberry series and added Fillmore and Gymer).

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.